1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to remote control devices and more specifically to a hand held electronic remote control device for supplying a signal to a remote receiver that is a function of relative angular device orientation and can be used to control a selected remote display or function parameter.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A number of different types of remote control devices have been built and successfully used over the years. The number of controlled elements has usually been small in number due to limited requirements but also due to the complexity of operation. In the area of computers and other consumer devices equipment and software sophistication now exceeds most user's ability to effectively interface with the system. For example, most users of VCR's do not find it worth their time to learn how to program a recording of future events. The infrequent need for such sophisticated applications often does not justify the time involved to learn the procedures, and even a relatively simple limited function VCR control has as many as 30 buttons. In order to make more features readily available to the average person a user-to-device interface must be devised that minimizes or eliminates the learning time.
In computer applications one attempt to create a user friendly interface is the invention called the "Mouse" and its use with Windows.RTM. application software. The use of a single hand held control to select from printed options on the screen is a highly desirable feature. However, the common mouse is limited in its application by the need for a flat surface upon which to roll the mouse ball and, of course, it is usually a hard wired device.
There is thus a need for a hand held device that can perform mouse functions from a remote position without hard wire and that does not require a surface reference. Examples of potential use for such a device include domestic TV, audio and video equipment, computer driven video and multimedia shows and currently used static slide and overhead projector devices would also benefit greatly from an easy to use remote control mouse-like device.